//------------------------------// // Prologue: The Plan // Story: Royal Pain // by Pixel Berry //------------------------------// It was another one of those mornings. The mornings where all was peaceful, nothing crazy was happening, no sign of some dark forces trying to take over Equestria, and all seemed perfect. Emphasis on the seem, as everypony subconsciously knew something insane was going to happen one way or another. This wasn't different from the royal duties of Princess Celestia herself, looking over some notes about what some of the other kingdoms were doing, while having herself some delicious cake and tea. It was interrupted by the doors slamming wide open. Standing at the doorway, with a messy mane and nearly bloodshot eyes, was Celestia's sister, Princess Luna. “SISTER!!!” She screamed, nearly on the verge of using the royal Canterlot voice. “Luna? What is the matter?” Celestia put down her levitated tea cup as she calmly got up from her throne and met Luna half way. “You should be sleeping.” Luna marched to her, each hoofstep making an earthquake on the other side of their planet. “It's that… thing you live with us! That… Blueblood brat of yours!!!” “Blueblood? What does he have to do with you being awake at this hour?” Celestia tilted her head a little as she brought her sister’s head up, noticing the bags under her eyes. “He mostly stays to himself.” “Oh no! He may stay from you, but he's… ugh! I need something to punch now!!!” “Luna, you know that violence is never the way to solve or calm your stress.” She poured another cup of tea for her sister before bringing it to her. “Here, have come camomile tea. I hear it’s the most relaxing tea in Equestria.” She smiled a little. Luna took the tea and gulped it down quickly. “Thank you for that. And yes, I know it's not the right way, but he's… ugh… by Faust, he's so irritating!” “Yes, I hear that a lot from my… not so noble subjects. But after a small talk, he does become less irritating… for a few days.” She mumbled the last part to herself. “But why you sister? From what I could see, neither of you barely see each other, no less talk to one another.” She asked as she hope the prince wasn’t off taking Luna’s moon cakes… again. “I don't chat with him! He, on the other hoof, just goes out with full on whining and demands! ‘Oh Luna, I want that diamond encrusted egg! Luna, I want my own holiday! Luna, I want my own Castle!’.” She cringed. “Not to mention, his overdone parties that happen almost every night, use of our treasury for things he wants, and, the worst of them all… He took my Moon cakes! They were for charity!” Celestia moved her hoof from under her sister’s chin. “Hmm… this does seem like a lot of trouble. But have you ever tried to just talk him into doing what you want? Like, ‘we cannot afford another castle’ or ‘we can’t make a diamond encrusted egg’. Perhaps a ‘can you schedule the party before throwing one to let me know’?” Celestia asked. “I mean, those always worked for me.” She smiled once again. “Oh no! I've tried that before! He whines even more, saying it's important and he needs them! Sister, I have yet to know what it means to be a mother, but you need to get his head straight before he does something stupid!” She levitated a belt and a chancla. “I heard both of these are effective for giving punishments.” “Luna, you should know that we can’t do that. If word got out that we punished our cousin with violence, who knows what our subjects might think of us.” Celestia said as she placed a hoof on her chest. “And believe me, I sometimes wish I could do that.” She looked through an open window close by. “Perhaps we should find a less violent and more educational way to punish him. Maybe a nice nature walk in the garden, showing him how some animals have less, but still live happier lives. Or maybe we could-” Her response was cut short as the door opened once again and the prince himself was strutting out, a small maid holding open the heavy door as it looked as if she would give into the weight of the door any second. Blueblood patted her head. “Excellent!” He boasted, caring less about her but the performance she did. “Now, I think it's only fitting that you prepare my next meal. I'm thinking a Daisy sandwich with no crust, exactly seventeen flowers in total, and cut diagonally to make four pieces. Sound good?” “Y-y-yes… you're…. Highness!” The maid wheezed, sweating like a waterfall. “Good! I expect it to be ready in a minute.” He walked into the throne. The maid released the door with loud panting, turned and ran to the kitchen… only to trip and fall to her face, groaning in agony. Luna lifted the weapons of punishment to Celestia. “I think the staff will love to see it.” She whispered. “And I think we will be dethroned for Bluebloods exaggeration of the punishment.” She said through her teeth as she used her own magic to teleport the items to her sister’s room. “And I think our subjects will finally see that we can take action, instead of sitting down all the time and needing help from Twilight and her friends.” “You know that we can’t help them cause we have to be the first to be protected against any threats.” She replied. “Now this punishment idea is over.” “And what are you going to do then? Send Blueblood to a different dimension and only let him back once he's learned his lesson?” “Come on Luna, you know that it requires a lot of magic to do that, and I don’t think we need to.” Celestia shook her head as she looked away. “If you’re only going to continue trying to make me punish him, then you should get some rest. You must be really tired and cranky to keep this up.” “And he's causing it.” The sound of Blueblood screaming made them jump, which was followed by pots and pans clanging, and Blueblood entering the throne. He ran and stopped at Celestia. “Look at what happened, Tia!” He said, pointing at a small, barely noticeable mustard stain. “She ruined my shirt that was imported from Neighpan!” “I said I was sorry!” The maid from earlier entered, covered in more stains than him. “It's my first day here and-” “No! You caused this! Auntie, fire her!!!” “Now Blueblood, you know that she didn’t do it on purpose. And she even apologized. I’ll clean that stain if you give her another chance. It’ll be like it was never there.” She smiled over at the maid, knowing that she would never fire a maid over something so small. Blueblood stomped his left hoof. “This is unfair!” He whined “Nopony listens to me!” He stormed off, but stopped at the door. The maid stood there, blinking with a confused look. “Any time now!” The maid groaned and pushed one of the doors open. Blueblood walked past her. “And get yourself cleaned up! You're making a bigger mess than what you did!” She groaned again, heading to the servant's quarters. Luna sipped more of her tea. “... Think that mirror can work?” She asked. Celestia sighed as she rubbed her head. “I don’t think a missing prince is any better than a prince who has been physically punished.” She mumbled. “He's just going away for a while.” She winked. “You know it’s going to be more than just a little while.” Celestia looked over at her sister with an unamused expression. “If I'm correct, not only will our treasury breath a lot better, but I'm certain nopony’s going to miss him.” Celestia glanced away again as she looked outside the window again. She felt that her cousin might have some time to redeem himself, but she also knew that if she didn’t do anything, then all of Equestria will worsen if he was to take her role when it was her time to leave. She sighed as she looked down, knowing that this might be the only way. “Fine. We will go with your plan, but I will not send him with nothing but the fur on his back.” She looked over at her sister. “And I’ll also find the book for the dimensional spell.” Luna clapped her hooves and giggled like a filly. “Wonderful! I'll get the supplies ready!... You wouldn't mind if I used a sleeping spell on him, would you?” “Absolutely not. We will tell him about this, and if he’s not willing… then maybe.” Celestia answered. “You're no fun. Sorry guys.” A bunch of groans were heard as a couple of ninjas fell from the ceiling and scattered away. Celestia glared at her sister. “What did I say about ninjas..?” Luna lowered her head in defeat “Only at night times.” “Exactly, and only five of them in the morning for when you are asleep. And they have to stay in the room.” Celestia said. “Now, we will wait until it’s time for the sun to set and the moon to rise. That is when we’ll both be up and be able to make the spell together.” “Alright, sister… just keep him out of my room.” Luna trotted off to her room, going back to sleep. Celestia only sighed as she had an eventful sunset to prepare for. ~ Nighttime had arrived to Equestria. Many of the country's residents began to drift off to sleep, having themselves wonderful dreams, while Luna’s guards (and ninjas) began their nightly patrols. With a quick borrow from Princess Twilight, Celestia set up the mirror that her old apprentice, Sunset Shimmer, was forced to enter, and was going to be repeated with Blueblood. Of course, she didn't want him to go into the same world, as it meant that he'd be able to stroll in at anytime, so she navigated through glimpses of other worlds. The sound of loud thuds, and snoring, came into the room, as Luna strolled in, dragging a sleeping Blueblood by his tail. Celestia glared at her younger sister. “What did I just say about knocking him out?” She said in a near shout as she hated it when her sister went against her words. “I'm sorry, sister,” Luna apologized “But he was about to start, yet, another party. It was either this, or using the royal Canterlot voice around the bustling music.” Celestia placed a hoof on her forehead before she shook her head. “Fine. I guess this might be more easy if he didn’t move while we were doing this.” She mumbled as she looked down at the sleeping prince. “Shall I throw him in!? Or wake him up?... Please let me throw him in.” “You’ve already went against not knocking him out, I will definitely not let you throw him.” She glared at her. “Just levitate him through the portal, and I will make sure you don’t throw him.” She said as her horn glowed and a yellowish-blue portal was seen instead of the usual purple. She also strapped a saddle bag on him with a note in one of the bags. Luna followed what she said, gently lifting and bringing the prince into the portal… only to immediately throw him in. “SO LONG, SUCKER!!!” She laughed. “I gotta tell everyone!!!” She ran up the stairs. “Blueblood is gone, everyone! Let's party!!!” “THIS IS WHY EVERYPONY WAS SCARED OF YOU!!!” Celestia shouted in anger as she really didn’t like how her sister went against her… again!